READING GUIDE TO: Kremer-Sadlik T .and Kim, J
(2007) ‘Lessons from sports:
children’s socialization to values through family interaction during
sports
activities’, in Discourse
and Society, 18 (1): 35-52
Middle class kids do a lot of organized sport in the
USA.Such activity has cultural
implications, including seeing sport as a preferred alternative to
letting
children organise themselves in their spare time.There
is also a growing awareness of the problem
of obesity, and that ‘participation in structure and extracurricular
programs in
adolescence promotes academic achievements and social adjustment’ (36).Parents believe in the value of sports
activities, especially ‘teamwork, fair play, sportsmanship, discipline,
commitments, responsibility, self esteem and self confidence’ (36).Parents believe that sport is a good way to
‘incorporate
life lessons’ (36).
This study looked at the ways in which
children and parents
interacted around sports activities, using ethnographic video and
examining the
idea of language socialization—‘through language acquisition and
language use
children are socialised to socio cultural knowledge norms and values…In talk and interaction, especially with
family members (36).This might go on in
talk around the dinner table, or talking about work.
Children actively engage in formally
organised sport, and
this is valued.Such sports improves
personal traits and help kids get self confidence.However, parents regularly comment on
sporting activities, and take the chance to introduce moralistic
standpoints
and attitudes.One extract has a parent
requiring a boy to manage pain, offering a mild response to an injury,
and
avoiding ‘excessive concern and emotions’ which are demeaning (39)
[hegemonic masculinity?].Parents also
discuss results, of the team and
of individuals, sometimes by making really positive assessments,
offering a ‘postgame
pep talk’ stressing the need to persevere and improve (40).
Parents and children also engage in a
good deal of informal
play.Here, family members themselves
decide rules and justify their decisions.Thus one example has a father reminding kids not to
get too carried away
or to whine, and directing behaviour to more legitimate means to
compete,
insisting on fair play, sticking to the rules, and so on.The father in this example wants to encourage
a particular child, but to get her to compete within the rules and
within his
values.Sportsmanship and its value is
also discussed [detailed analysis of transcripts intersperse this
account], for
example in moderating celebratory behaviour, and discussing acceptable
alternatives.Lessons are offered in the
course of these discussions, examples given, questions asked, and
expectations
illustrated [pretty much as in good classroom pedagogy].Overall, the researchers witnessed ‘lengthy
collaborative
interaction with their children to explain, illustrate, and instil in
them
values that they deem important’ (45).
However, there is also passive sports
participation—'sports
- centred interaction not involving actual play…watching
televised sport and talking about
sports events' (45).Families often
watch the televised games, and discuss them.Far from being unhelpful, 'these active engagements
can lead to moral
lessons'(45).The example shows the
family discussing loyalty and allegiance, being a good participant and
being a
moral member of society—raucous support for a team leads to discussion
[does
look a bit heavy handed and teachery].Different kinds of reasons for being loyal were
explored, sentimental
and rational, according to gender, so there was some slight initial
disagreement.Reported events, events of
the past, also lead to discussions and stories.The stories make moral points, such as the need to
take adversity with
humour.Again, there are some family
conflicts here about how to interpret the events [and a possible
suspicion that
kids realise the heavy handed pedagogical motivation and want to stop
it going
too far].Some detail ensues about how
children's rival arguments are managed, as subjective, mistaken,
inappropriate, not shared, and so on.
So overall, parents have an important
role in socialisation
as well as sports personnel, and informal settings are as important as
formal
ones in socialising kids.There are
typical patterns of involvement, 'moralising lessons…Parents are not only interested in modifying
the child's behaviour or attitude, but also in importing moral stances
and
knowledge about how one should behave and feel' (50).This can be done through questioning,
challenge, interaction and discussion rather than simple reprimand. Parents do this because they see the need to
raise 'successful, healthy adults', and sports has a valuable role 'as
a
socialising tool' (50).
[Quite a few implications here.It's a very uncritical piece, and could be
seen as an undesirable extension of Foucault - type regulation.There are some policy implications too.If we want to use sport as some sort of
social capital raising activity, maybe we should focus on parental
conversations about it, instead of relying on physical participation?Televised and past events seem to be as
important as real life actual ones, so maybe we should get kids
watching
televised sport as well?]